Devil Survivor 2: Prometheus - Of Flames & Steel
by AkaiArsony
Summary: It's the fourth time to relive this nightmare. It's the fourth time to try and protect what you hold dear. And it is your final chance to redeem humanity. Now forge your new strength and carve the new path towards the bright future you show. Shining One; child of man - peaceful days are over. Let us survive!
1. Chapter 1

Devil Survivor 2 - Prometheus: Of Flames and Steel

* * *

Hey guys, Arsony here! I've been replaying DeSu2 a lot lately (currently on my 9th or 10th play through, LOL) and I've been itching to write a fic about some things I came across with in my mind while playing the game. This is sort of a "what if" kind of situation I wanted to explore after having read a few light novels like Highschool DxD, Campione, and SAO, so I hope you'll forgive me if things like OOCness and different plot twists occur. Then again, this is a fic, so those things really have to be allowed to slide some of the time. :)

Updating period of this fic may or may not be as fast as you would be expecting since I am mainly focused on my Persona fic, Velvet Room Inc., so if you are one of those who come to like this and itch for another chapter, then patience be the virtue my good reader/s. Haha.

Also, the Velvet Room ain't dead! I just got hooked up on this for a while that I wasn't able to work much on the next chapter yet, so I apologize. Don't worry - the next chapter would be appearing soon. You might get a li'l shock from the Personas though - I crossed over some characters. ;)

Anywho, here's the first chapter of Prometheus: Of Flames and Steel. Please enjoy.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Atlus owns the SMT: Devil Survivor series. That's why I took the liberty of letting you know if you didn't.

* * *

THE DAY BEFORE, PT. 1: The Flames Lit; A Blade Forged

_It was I who had presided over them -_

_Those who had the capacity for limitless possibilities._

_Yet with every single one of them that I saw shivering from the cold, sick from under-prepared meals, injured from the dangers of the wild, blatantly ignorant of the ways of the world -_

_With every single human being I saw, a jagged blade cut through the recesses of my very being._

_That was why I had to change them._

_That was why I took the initiative to guide them._

_Why did the gods forsake these children?_

_Why did they leave them to their own doom?_

_Why did they not bother to look down from their thrones, only maintaining their eyes level from where they so sit upon?_

_I sought an answer, yet the time spent for searching only managed to endanger the children more. This was why I finally chose to defy the will of the heavens and give them knowledge, coupled with radiance and warmth they have never known before._

_And that very gift has shaped civilization after civilization._

_Though the present has changed, my gift remained used up to this moment._

_But these children could not have my gift serve only one purpose - _

_It became something for both good and evil._

_It has tipped the balance of this planet._

_And so the gods decided to Purge this world of these children._

_They believe that there is no more room for any kind of good change, that my gift has turned these children into nothing more that accursed beings._

_And so _YOU_, who shall be given the chance to redeem your brothers and sisters,_

_YOU must go through that hellish week for the final time,_

YOU _shall once more receive all I have given._

YOU _shall take what your brothers and sisters have used._

YOU _shall unite all through a will, and display a reason that the gods will not fail to overlook, and cease the Purging of this world._

_My child, _YOU_ shall use my knowledge; my flame; and the steel your kind has so made use of for the building of eras of greatness._

_My child, _YOU_ shall be the one to defy Fate, and bring forth what remains in that accursed box-_

_Hope._

_I shall be watching closely, and stand together with all you children of possibilities._

_My dearest child, o Shining One who shall save your brethren - _

_Peaceful days are over._

_Let us survive._

* * *

Easy-piecey.

It was alrady nearing midday. Students were busy packing up their materials so as to leave early, while others still enjoyed the company of one another and chatted away about the just-finished mock exam. Though it was said to have been a challenge, I had found the test to be easier than what I had expected. It may have been because of my frequent studying that I was able to breeze through, or maybe the teachers were just too lazy to bring out the big guns.

Still, it was a blessing to have had such a test.

Lately, I've been devoting lots of my time studying. It wasn't because I was such a nerd or my parents had such high expectations of me, but because I had wanted to prepare for whatever was up ahead. It's still too early, but thinking about what to do after college and planning for the future was something I had wanted to do personally in order to secure a promising tomorrow for my own sake. That sounds like some bank commercial crap, but hey, it's my life here.

People often said that I acted too mature for my age, due to the reason that I paid far too much attention towards things that significantly impacted my so-called life progress, and that I had too much of an initiative for stuff that needed to be done. I didn't mind it too much if people did say so, as they often said it with a hint of respect rather than humor or ill-wills. They even went as far to saying I might end up losing all interest on present things that would require a lesser sense of maturity in order to fully appreciate and use to the fullest.

That didn't sting, but I still felt indiffernt from that.

As I started to pack up my stuff, no sooner than I began to open my bag that the room's door bursted open, welcoming in a person I knew all too well.

"Hey, Hibiki! How'd you do?" the person asked.

I grinned smugly, replying "It was easy. Didn't pose much of a problem. How'd _you_ do, Daichi?"

Though he looked like he wasn't that dependable, Daichi Shijima was my best friend. We've known each other for quite some time now, and so we knew each other pretty well. Daichi was the sort who'd avoid things that put himself at any risk and showed little to no backbone, but made up for those with his determination once set on doing something and how he was such a reliable person.

Daichi scratched his head and chuckled slightly. "Well, I just barely made it through the test! Thank god I remembered some stuff down." He then sighed and faced me with an expression of annoyance. "Man, you wouldn't believe how many distractions I've had to face last night while I was studying. I mean, c'mon! There should be a limit to how stuff like that affects you, right?"

"Don't tell me the TV walked into your room."

"Heyyy! What are you trying to say here?"

I shrugged off the question. "Oh, nothing." Before Daichi could come up with a retort, a proctor appeared by the door and called his attention. "Excuse me, Mr. Shijima! You left your phone by the room!"

Daichi reacted to the statement by checking his pockets first, realizing that his phone wasn't really there, then half running to the proctor and retrieving his phone. "Ah, thank you very much, sensei. Glad you found it. Hehehe. . ."

After handing over Daichi's phone, the proctor chastised him for leaving his things unattended, and reminded him to pay better attention to his valuables. As the proctor left, I stood up and joined Daichi since I was already done packing my things. Since he was already with his bag and stuff before having come here, we decided to leave and spend the day elsewhere.

Just as we were walking out of the room, Daichi started scratching his head with look that people made when they've forgotten something and desperately tried to remember it. I didn't hold myself back and straight up asked "So, what'd you forget?"

"Eh?! How'd you know I was trying to remember something?!"

I chuckled at his retort. "Oh, simple - it was written all over your face."

Daichi scoffed at my reply. "Pfft, as if I'm that easy to read. You can do it since we've been hanging out for some time now as pals, anyways."

"That's not it. You just let people on that easily."

"Hey man, that's not cool! Although. . . . . *sigh* You may be right."

"1-0 Hibiki. Boom!" I laughed while fist-pumping.

"Ehhh. . . Just you wait, one of these days Hibiki. . . . Ahhh, dammit, I can't remember what I was gonna tell you. Was it about joining something. . .?"

"Well, if you can't remember it, set it aside. You know how some people forget stuff and then remember it sooner or later when they don't think about it?"

Daichi nodded. "Yeah, happens to me sometimes. Well, might as well do so. Hey, you busy by the way? I need to do some shopping down at Shibuya."

"Sure, as long as I don't bring along any of your shopping bags," I chuckled.

* * *

The afternoon flew by as Daichi and I spent time buying whatever he needed, eating, playing at some arcades, and a whole lot of window shopping past a few stores. As we were walking towards the station, Daichi struck up a kind of too mature conversation not too befitting of him.

"Hey, Hibiki."

I turned to him and replied. "What is it?"

"You know how we're already nearing the end of our school life? I wonder how we'll be spending college soon, then moving on after graduation and looking for jobs. . . Damn, makes me think life is too short, y'know?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. Looking at it from that point, Daichi was quite right. No matter how long you spend on certain things, the thought of time continually creeping up from behind and taking whatever valuable moment you can spend away was quite dismaying. Life is played out in one shot - no second chances are present. You might as well do something very memorable before you crumble into a pile of ashes and disappear for all of eternity, as death can happen anytime, anywhere.

Truly, death was inevitable. Once it comes, there's no cheating fate - your time is up when it faces you right in front, and flashes all of your life before you once he backs up the scythe. And when you've seen enough, you sleep forever - never to wake again. . .

"It's true that life is always a step behind you, so you just have to widen that gap and do all the necessary things ahead of time so you can fully enjoy the rest of your life. That's why I really want to study hard and find a suitable and stable job after graduating."

Daichi chuckled, embarrassed. "Man, hearing you say that makes me feel like I really am lagging behind. And to think that I've got a driver's license to boot. . ."

"Hey, that comes in handy too, y'know. You might even become a racecar driver, for all we know. Hahahaha."

"That wasn't what I meant though. But- OhShit! My bladder's acting up again!" Daichi exclaimed, suddenly putting his hands over his crotch like reflex.

"Told ya to keep your hands off the Iced Tea Mega-Served Shake," I smiled, wryly.

"Bahhh, I can regret that later! Right now I have to look for the public toilet! Wait for me, 'kay bud?" Daichi said, jumping around.

"Yeah, sure. But make it fast though, we still need to get home."

As soon as Daichi disappeared with his small-capacity bladder, I put on my headphones and scrolled through my rock playlist to kill some time before he got back. Spotting a nearby bench, I took a seat and looked around, quite at unease with nothing to do.

"Oh yeah, better get to downloading those Aerolyn songs later. . . ." I suddenly recalled, having listened to a single from the band and promising to fill my MP3 player with some of their power-packed music. Somehow, I found the powerful plays and energy-driven beat Aerolyn something about my taste, apart from the usual rock I listened to.

* * *

_Dammit, I need to hurry!_

The man's thoughts were solely focused on two things: one, was to escape the people after him; and two, was that he needed to find someone suitable for the "package" he was carrying with him.

"Really, making me go through all this trouble. . . . That client was something else for making me sniff something outta the Hotsuin family again. . ."

He inadvertently thought back to five days ago, when some white-haired guy in red and black clothes approached him with a large wad of cash and a job. Somehow, this client was looking high and low for him, having heard from who-knows-where that he was some sort of odd-jobs man wandering the country, doing this and that and ultimately just helping people out of good will.

_The nerve of some people. . . . I'm supposed to have "retired" from my detective job ages ago and be at peace with some people hunting me down – but NOOOOO. Someone just had to turn me into some Jason Statham transporter man. . ._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_But damn, that doesn't sound too bad._

The man continued running down the streets with his pursuers unknowledgeable as to his whereabouts, and after having spotted the nearby park, he decided to head there in order to change his course. Once in the park's vicinity, he hunted down a decent group of bushes and decided to conceal his presence there. Finding one near a bench, he jumped in and crouched down.

"Tch, this is so damn clichéd. I can't believe I'm back into doing something so dangerous again. Then again, I DO need some cash if I don't wanna be a hobo in Tokyo. . . . Hehe. That actually rhymed."

The man then placed his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out a black rectangular case. It was painted with ornate, golden designs that depicted some very familiar sketches to the man.

"Huh, it's actually got the constellations of the northern hemisphere on it. . . And lookie here – the Big Dipper's actually smack dab on the middle. . . Alright, step two – that weird client said to use this," reaching for his pants' left pocket this time, he pulled out something circular, "mirror or whatever to find the man to deliver this box to."

Admittedly, he wasn't the sort to believe this sort of crap. He would stop and think _C'mon, magic and shit doesn't exist! Nor do any supernatural entities!_

Yet somehow, he found himself dumbfounded and shocked upon seeing his client float, summon some weird creatures, and turn them into dust with a flick of his fingers. Oddly enough, he found himself believing.

_A'ight. Here goes._

He opened the round object and inside was a mirror, the sort you would see girls use when pampering themselves in public. He then muttered some phrase, and the mirror glowed light blue before finally showing the image of a black haired boy, fiddling with his music player by some sort of bench.

_. . . . A kid? This thing's seriously telling me to entrust __**that**__ to some sort of high school kid?! Who the heck is this kid, even?! It'll take me weeks to find this guy and by that time, JP's will be gnawing at my neck by then! Godda—_

_Wait._

_That bench looks oddly familiar._

_And why is a hat on that bush? There's some pink cotton candy underneath it too. . ._

Mental facepalm.

And the man then knew what he had to do, briefly sighing heavily before proceeding with it.

* * *

Minutes later, my phone rang and to my surprise, Daichi was the one calling. I answered the call and began conversing with him.

"You have reached Hibiki Kuze's answering machine! If you're hearing this, that means you've been gone long enough to take a piss and Hibiki nearly fell asleep! Please leave a message!"

"Huh. And here I was, nearly falling for that. Anyways, my mom called me to buy some parts down at Akibahara since dad somehow managed to fry the CPU's motherboard from a messy overclock. So. . . ."

"You won't get to ride with me home, right? It's fine, no worries," I answered, smiling. I've been friends with this guy so long I practically considered him my sibling.

Daichi sighed in relief over the phone, and replied back. "Thanks a lot, dude. I appreciate it. I'll be sure to make it up to you soon, 'kay?"

"Sure, sure. Ramen would be nice. You know, at our usual place? I'd want the special."

"What?! Don't you know how much that costs?!"

"Oh, I do. Hahaha. Kidding! Just the usual."

"Ahh, that's better. Hear that? That's my wallet sighing in relief. Anyways, gotta go, man!"

"Okay, 'til next time, Daichi." I hung up, rose from the bench, and walked towards the station. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind and dragged back into the bench. Sitting beside me was some middle-aged looking man wearing a brown coat and a hat, with his pink(?) hair sticking out like cotton candy.

"Uhhh. . . Excuse me but. . . who are you?"

"Name."

I gawked at him.

"What? Sorry, but I asked first, sir so-"

"Name."

_I better answer or this'll go round and round. _"Kuze. Hibiki Kuze."

The man stared into my eyes with a serious expression. "Hibiki. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, but you really have no choice here so you might as well take the mission, is to safeguard this item which is one that would greatly help with your luck in life and maybe help you lose your chastity."

"Whoa, whoa, wait! What the heck are you talking about?!" And how the hell could you say something like that with a straight face?!

"In any case, give me your phone. Now. Or else the world blows up."

"You're joking." I don't even know you!

"Try me." Poker face.

.

.

.

What is up with this guy?!

I took my phone out, and the moment I did, the man snatched it and put it on his lap. He then proceeded to open some sort of rectangular case he took out from his coat pocket and attach whatever was inside onto my phone.

"Here."

I hastily took back my phone, and found some sort of phone strap now attached to it.

It was a miniature katana and the head of some white dragon with an odd look.

_Wait, this dragon. . . It looks. . . Familiar? What was with this weird sense of deja vu. .? Now that I think about it, even this weird guy looks. . ._

"Hey, mister. Who are you? What's this supposed to be?" Nausea filled me.

"No one in particular." He then rose from the bench, and turned his back on me. "Someone told me to pass this message to you."

I fought back the dizziness and left behind my thoughts of familiarity about this man and the dragon. "What did they want to say?"

"Well, he said: _If you wish for this to be the final try, then let this be a new path towards the ending you seek – for yourself, your friends, and for the world._"

. . . .? What was this weird feeling?

"That's all kid. Now, please excuse me."

"Wait, I've got questions! What the hell is this about?!"

The man paused, tipped his hat—

And ran away faster than I could have shot questions about anything else.

* * *

"Damn, that was weird."

Getting ambushed by a weird man with weird intents and avoiding your questions seemed so surreal to me. I couldn't think of any other explanation other than it being a dream.

But it definitely wasn't.

Plus, thinking back properly, something was oddly familiar with the pink-haired man and the dragon on the phone strap in my possession. It felt as if I had already seen them some long time ago, but at the same time I had no faint inkling as to their connection.

"What is up with this situation. . . That weird message too. . ."

Deciding to pursue this when I've had some rest, I hastened my way through the station in order to reach home.

The late-afternoon crowd at the station today wasn't quite as packed as I expected it to be. As I wandered over to the waiting platform, it was a bit refreshing for me to see less people crowding, as I always got dizzy from seeing so many individuals going in and from the station, moving about in various directions, and squeezing through any small space available to squirm through just to make it to the scheduled commute.

As I walked, I felt something connect with my right shoe. I lowered my gaze and found an object on the ground that my I managed to kick.

I picked up what looked like a cellphone strap - it had a pink leather strap with a set of blue star-shaped beads glued into some form.

Looking at the star beads, I couldn't help but feel like having seen its form somewhere. Closing my eyes for a moment, my thoughts clicked into place and I realized what the beads were made to look like.

It was a constellation, and a famous one at that - the Big Dipper.

While I smiled at the amusement I found over figuring out something simple, I was brought back to reality after a briefly bumping into an office worker, who I then apologized to for spacing out. I then had the inkling of finding the owner of this phone strap, thinking that they may still be around here searching for it.

I looked at my watch before moving out.

"20 minutes before the train comes. . . Okay."

Plenty of time.

* * *

"O-oi! This is really bad!"

The man ran out from his seat and into the train's next car. He frantically searched for his other co-workers aboard the commuter train, leaving behind the train's driver up front.

Minutes ago, some sort of rumbling had started to fill the third and second cars of the train. All of a sudden, the lights then started switching on and off, and the train's speed began reaching an abnormal rate that endangered the whole ride.

Having entered the second car reserved for the workers who managed the driving and communication with the station, the man faced a sight far more gruesome than any horror movie he's seen in his entire life.

Mangled body parts lay strewn all over the car. The entirety of the section was repainted with the blood of four men. The larger parts of the corpses were no longer recognizable. Just the sight made the bile in the man's stomach grow restless.

". . . . w-what the hell's going on. . ."

The man fell down and suppressed the urge to hurl whatever his stomach held. As he stared at the scene in pure fear, something told him he wasn't the only living being on this car. Paranoia taking over, he shuffled to his feet and turned towards the door back to the driver's compartment.

"H-hey! What the fuck is going on here! Everyone back there's dead! What's happening to the train?! We gotta. . . ."

Turning towards the driver's seat, he found a body minus the head.

And as he turned for the door and screamed, darkness filled the compartment, and his existence was extinguished by a monstrous arm that went through his chest.

* * *

Ten minutes in and still I had no luck finding whoever it was who owned the cellphone strap.

"Man, the train might come anytime. . . I better search one last time."

I moved back towards where I had found it, thinking that whoever dropped it may go about this area. With good luck, I found a girl around my age searching the dust-filled floor around where I found the strap.

_That girl. . . She seems familiar. . ._

I moved towards the girl and called out to her. "Excuse me! Are you searching for something?"

The girl turned to me, a panicked look drawn on her face. "Ah, yes I am. I'm sorry, but is there a problem?"

As she stood up from the spot, I took the cellphone strap out of my pocket and showed it to her. "Is this perhaps yours? I found it on the ground around here."

Snatching a look at the strap, she gasped in surprise at the sight of the trinket. "Y-yes! That cellphone strap's mine!"

I placed the strap in her hand. "Then, take care of it properly, 'kay? It seems like it's very important to you."

"I-it is! Uhm, thank you very much for what you did!" The girl bowed meekly as a gesture of thanks, leaving me embarrassed and scratching my head.

"Hehe, you don't really have to thank me for something so trivial."

She shook her head in earnest. "Unn, it isn't trivial. This was something really important. May I ask for your name?"

"Ah, my name's Hibiki Kuze. And yours?"

The girl smiled and bowed a little. "My name is Io Nitta. It's my pleasure to meet you, Kuze-kun."

"Nitta-san. . . huh. . ."

_Io. . . Nitta?_

_What was this nostalgic feeling?_

Hearing that name, I felt like something went through my chest and tore my heart out in the worst possible way.

"Kuze-kun? Are you okay? You look really pale." Nitta-san asked, concern glinting in her eyes.

"Eh? Ah, Hahaha. It was nothing. I just thought of something."

"Is that so?" I could easily feel her doubting my answer.

"Really! It's nothing! I just—"

_*Beeeep-beeeep-beeeep*_

"Oh, excuse me."

As if it were divine providence watching over me, Nitta-san's phone rang and interrupted the whole conversation.

Having flipped it open, the screen read:

_**A friend's death clip has arrived!**_

"Death. . . clip?" I muttered.

"Oh, you aren't familiar with this, Kuze-kun? It's that new website that's been gaining popularity lately, Nicaea." Nitta-san explained.

"Nicaea. . . Yeah, I think I've heard of it before. Some of the people talking after our mock tests mentioned some sort of website accessible in mobile phones."

Nitta-san nodded, and continued her explanation. "After signing up, people receive some sort of 'death clip' that features a friend, sometimes even themselves, in a situation where they're dead due to some reason. The clips are about a few seconds long, and although creepy as it is, I think they're just jokes or pranks the admins thought of."

"I see. Can I take a look at the clip you got? I'm kinda interested."

Nitta-san grinned. "sure, why not?"

I looked back into the screen of Nitta-san's phone, which was still flashing the same message earlier. Nitta-san then switched options and prompted the phone to play the video attachment.

What we saw froze me in place.

It was a scene of me and Nitta-san on the station platform, looking into her phone when suddenly, the train comes in and gets derailed. The train's front cars tumble into the subway and fly towards my and Nitta-san's direction. Both of us were transfixed into watching the front car slowly fall unto us, as if still in a daze and refusing to believe that what was about to hit us was all real.

I heard Nitta-san gasp beside me, and I felt my jaw slack open as I witness the end of the video – the subway in shambles, Nitta-san bloodied and beside rubble, and—

My body, bleeding under the weight of the train – crimson liquid accumulating under my head, with my eyes having lost the last specks of life contained within them.

The video faded to black, and I found myself unnerved by something that was supposed to be some sort of "_joke or prank the admins thought of_."

"That's weird. . ."

I perked up. "What do you mean, Nitta-san?"

"Well, the videos that come up are usually of people I've already known for some time." she answered.

"Does that mean that you've already had an account for some time in Nicaea?" I hypothesized. Nitta-san smiled, and nodded.

"It's not as if it's been really long, but maybe just about a week and a half. I've already received five death clips during that time, and they belonged to people I've already known."

I put my thinking gears into motion. "And since we've only met today, it's weird receiving a death clip of someone you've only met, right?"

"Yes. Although. . ."

"What is it?" I asked.

Nitta-san's face lightened up for a bit. "I have this feeling that, well, it's like I've met Kuze-kun somewhere but I just don't really know. Being with Kuze-kun doesn't really feel the least bit uncomfortable for me, too."

I blinked. "Is that so. . . Oh, the train's coming. Where are you headed, Nitta-san?"

"Ariake. That's where I'm going home. How about you, Kuze-kun?"

"Well, I. . ."

I trailed off as I felt a tremor fill the subway. The lights flickered, and I could hear a screeching sound from overhead. The people in the subway turned uneasy as well, curious as to what was happening. Light murmuring of panicked and tensed voices could be heard talking about having a light earthquake and that it wasn't anything much.

My intuition screamed at me to get the hell out of here, and I felt cold sweat drip run down my neck. I turned to Nitta-san, and she was transfixed on her phone. Upon closer inspection, her face was pale, and I too understood what was going through her mind.

The death clip was real.

The screeching turned louder, turning into a sound that irritated everyone's ears. Just then, I felt my head pulsate begin to ache; the pain exponentially escalated so quickly that it was enough to drop me on my knees.

Nitta-san bent down beside me, asking if I was okay. I couldn't hear anything.

The screeching came closer.

The tremors intensified.

The headache kept getting stronger.

The people were panicking, running towards the exit and causing a stampede.

And Nitta-san was on the verge of tears, not wanting to leave me behind.

It all seemed so familiar, like something I've done so many times. The headache turned worse, and I felt a surge of tremendous amounts of information flow into my brain.

And suddenly, I understood.

The train.

The clip.

Nicaea.

Death.

A week's worth of ordeal.

Io Nitta.

"T-this. . . is. . . the fourth. . time?

The trembling finally got to its worst, and the train's first three cars came tumbling into the subway. Nitta-san's frantic screaming echoed through the halls, and she tugged at me, tears streaming down her face.

I still couldn't stand up. The pain was too much.

My vision turned black.

* * *

_Was this. . . the end?_

.

.

.

.

.

**Is dying really all you can do, child?**

_What else can I do. . . I've been doing the same thing now for three times already. . ._

_I'm weak._

_The first try, I wished for the same equality my friends sought, and yet—_

_They died because of my lack of strength. It wasn't enough._

_The second try, I quested for power in order to protect everything dear to me, but—_

_I became too drunk on it, forgetting the reason I longed for it._

_And the third time was the worst._

_I lost an important person because of my recklessness. Just to keep me alive, she shielded me with her own body, seemingly not regretting her decision of sacrificing her life to save mine._

_Io Nitta._

_Someone I've learned to love thrice._

_And someone I've lost thrice._

_If that was the case, then it would be better for me to just stop._

**Do you really think it's that useless?**

_It is! The future is set in stone; what the hell can I accomplish by challenging something that's impossible to change?!_

**But it is you yourself who wished to see all the possibilities. It was you who wanted to protect what was dear.**

_But I can't! I'm too damn weak. . ._

**Then by accepting your own weakness, we acknowledge your heart's strength.**

_My heart. . .?_

**True power lurks in the act of a genuine reason, child. You who care not for your own but for the rest, we see that you are the chance humanity has to take.**

_Can I really finish it this time? Can I really protect what I want to protect?_

**Fear not the hands of Fate, for the way to see it lies now within you. What is in the future, you cannot change merely in seconds – do so with the last week you have been granted.**

_. . . .I see._

_I know I'm weak, and I'm scared of what would happen with the power I'll find within me, but—_

_If this is my final chance to save everyone, and I turn my back on this,_

_I'm damning everyone to a fate worse than the burden I'll have on my back forever._

_That's why,_

_I'll do it._

**Then, with the strength your heart has gathered, forge your path forth with your own power, child!**

* * *

I opened my eyes.

The train car was still falling towards us, and I could hear Nitta-san, no, Io's desperate pleas for me to stand and run with her. Every sob she let out stoked the fire inside me.

I did not want her to shed tears again.

"E-eh, Kuze. . .kun?"

Io stopped sobbing as I put my left arm around her and faced her. "Don't worry; I won't do anything rash to get you hurt. Not this time."

"Kuze-kun, what are you. . .!"

What happened next was all in a matter of seconds.

Letting Io speak no more, I seal her lips with mine.

A bright light engulfed us, and some sort of circle appeared beneath us and releasing what I felt was an incredible amount of energy.

I felt my heart rate go faster, with adrenaline pumping into my system. Energy seemed to flow into my body, and I felt my senses grow sharper.

**Good! Now, imagine the outlet of your power, and let it manifest!**

_Lightning. . . That katana and that dragon—I remember them now._

I kissed Io deeper, feeling her do the same, and channeled my will and power into the form I wanted.

_Now, to forge my path forth, and protect__—!_

* * *

Io Nitta was your average high school girl.

She was of average looks, dressed in normal fashion, ate ordinary things, and had average hobbies.

She studied hard for school, learned of the usual skills women needed, mingled with her friends, shopped, and relaxed during her free time—

Io did mostly what many considered being normal, under society's standards. However, her everyday rhythm was broken once she had signed up for Nicaea.

Upon receiving her very first death clip, she never got used to seeing the faces branded with the palest of colors and utmost despair. The blood was something you can get used to, but the expressions filled with fear, regret, and torment ate away at her very core.

In all honesty, she didn't want to experience any of the sorts.

Io wanted to live her life to fullest and be with everyone she held dear to her for as long as she could, but she could not bear the same despair some went through when death came knocking at their doorstep. The feeling of being helpless and alone in the face of death, with no one to save you or any chance of escape at all. . .

And now, even if she had wanted to run away so fast out of the subway and be able to live her own life, she chose to try and save some stranger she had only met ten minutes prior to the incident unfolding before them.

For some reason, she felt that she wanted to save Kuze not because she didn't want to feel guilty about leaving him behind but because she thought that there was something about him that just pulled her in—some sort of very warm feeling that she just wants to take hold of in her arms.

Something that she might just want to hold onto forever, like it would complete her life.

And the price she paid for staying behind to feel that warmth? Simple.

She, a very normal Io Nitta, found herself locking lips with the strange boy, Hibiki Kuze.

It was too sudden, alright. She wanted to push him away, crawl into a hole, and die of embarrassment. Sure, Kuze seemed cute to her, but she was one of the firm believers of the "stages of love" to be followed when in a relationship.

But what was weird for that moment was that she instead reacted much too differently from what was going through her head—she clung on to his neck, and indulged into the kiss. For some reason, she felt that this was fine for them, as if they have been lovers for quite some time now. Like a feeling of déjà vu, she felt as if she had already met him somewhere, and all that was left was for her to know it; almost like a situation where you've got an answer on the tip of your tongue.

The light surrounding them intensified, and before everything turned white, she felt Kuze's warmth go away much to her chagrin, and at the same time, she heard words she would never learn to let go of.

"Wait here, Io. I'll protect you with my life, so please wait a bit while I change fate."

The light finally engulfed them, and moments after she had recovered her vision, an unbelievable feat unfolded right in front of her.

The train cars that flew towards them were sliced into halves.

And in front of Io, was Hibiki Kuze—

A shimmering blue katana in his right hand, a serpent wrapped around his left arm, and a white tiger of sorts beside him, with its fur standing on edge and emitting electricity.

"Kuze. . .kun. . .?"

"Stay put for a while, Io. . ."

Kuze dashed forward, and slashed once more through one of the wrecked train cars, revealing what looked like ogres, three of them, all bloodthirsty and in rage.

The tiger beside Kuze growled at the ogres, baring its fangs and emitting more electricity than before. "Easy, Byakko. It isn't time yet."

Kuze then turned back and looked Io, smiling softly. "Wait for a while, okay Io? I'll be right back."

Though still very confused as to what was happening, Io felt much secured despite the seemingly dangerous situation. And after seeing Kuze act that cool in front of her, she couldn't help but feel the color rose tint her cheeks.

"P-please take care, Kuze-kun. . ."

* * *

Please rate and review, criticisms and compliments are welcome too. The next chapter may take a while, so please be patient. Tell me what you think in the reviews, and I hope to have some positive feedback. Peace out.

~Arsony

PS. This might turn into a HibikixHarem story, and I might add Miyako Hotsuin if I could work out how I envision her character. So, tell me if you'd want Miyako here ('cause I want to, really, she looks awesome).


	2. Chapter 2

**Devil Survivor 2: Prometheus - Of Flames and Steel**

* * *

Hey guys, Arsony here with another chapter of Prometheus. It took me some time as to how I would want the plot to move forward and how the events were to unfold since:

Hibiki has retained his memories of the past tries against Polaris,

Events in this plotline are different from the canon (because this is a fic, mind you); and

I wanted to try different character developments here.

Also, I would be discussing the sort new "power" Hibiki gained back last chapter in this chapter for a short briefing of what it is. It was sorta inspired from a few anime you may or may not recognize (can't mention them since I literally forgot them, so my bad).

Oh, and this is a harem fic. Confirmed. HAREM. Why? Well, DeSu2 looked an ample lot like a harem (what with how the girls looked with their _assets_) and I hope to expound on that. Hibiki looks like he can handle that many girls, and I hope I can develop Miyako's personality well as I see her.

A short shout-out to Mr. Luckenhaft, by the way. If it weren't for you, good sir, I wouldn't have been inspired to publish this fic that has been sitting in my hard drive for months in an incomplete state. That, and I have been extremely disappointed with the lack of boy-to-girl relationship type of fics in the Megami Tensei section (no offense to fangirls and fanboys[?] who write BL and *ahem* type of fics). Also, because of Luckenhaft's ideas with the Harmonizer, I figured "Why not mess around with the fact that the Demon-Summoning Program is an _app_?"

Luckenhaft, many thanks and I hope to see more of your work. I don't plan to outshine yours anytime, as I feel that yours is still plenty more amazing than mine.

Enough of dat sh**! Here's the new chapter! *stands, bows, and backflips*

* * *

DISCLAIMER: ATLUS owns the SMT: Devil Survivor series. That's why I took the liberty of letting you know if you didn't.

* * *

THE DAY BEFORE, PT. 2: The Flames Lit; the Ordeal Begins

_Do you see it, Child?_

_Do you see the First Star shining brightly overhead?_

_See it burn with fervor; ever expanding in the endless space. . ._

_But when a star reaches a far too enormous state, it will begin to collapse upon the power it has built itself,_

_And be swallowed by the forces of the cosmos; its light lost in the dark forever._

_Never fear the size of its flame, for yours shall burn brighter,_

_And be the blue that swallows the red; burning hotter and stronger._

_Peaceful days are over—_

_Let us survive._

* * *

What is normal?

Is it the state of being under no change; conforming to what is completely usual, realistic, and unchanging in the eyes of the current society as to blend with the majority and remain in constant agreement with the equilibrium fate presents upon you?

Or is the dull, monochrome, and boring side of life where you seek to break out of the usual and do something out of the ordinary, expressing your very own feelings about what indeed it is you wish to experience in life, yet be chained by the fear of being the black sheep within the flock?

If these were given in a multiple choice test with the corresponding order of "A" and "B," Daichi Shijima would have undoubtedly chosen option "B."

Daichi has always wanted to be that one amazing person in the group, or maybe the one that stands out among the class as the most unique person around. Hell, he wishes for society to recognize him as a person worth giving even just a smidge of your attention.

However, all that would remain in his head as he would fear being called "abnormal," "weird," "perv," "idiot," and all other almost synonymous terms. Daichi seeks the limelight, but fails to take initiative and be under it on his own volition since he does not wish to be the one seen as the sole individual breaking the norms of everyday life.

It was all a matter of "if society dictates it, stick with it" to Daichi.

How he wished he could've been someone who society sees as the out-of-the-ordinary individual who does extraordinary feats with his talents. But what left Daichi bitter about this was the irony of life presented upon him.

The irony of having his best friend _be_ the change he wanted to be.

Hibiki had always been the straight A's student he knew since having met him. He shone in class, participated well in sports, and was known to most of the student body. Hibiki's looks melted many of the females, and his attitude gave him a good image among those who knew him.

Even if they _were_ best friends, Daichi had always felt a pang of envy towards Hibiki.

How could he just break the norm like that? How could he be the out-of-the-ordinary individual who does extraordinary feats with his talents? How could he change the very flow of what may have been a fate already set in stone for him?

_Why can't I be like that?_

_Why do I have to be the normal one?_

These feelings were encircling his heart, swirling and swirling in an almost endless pool that doomed to take him over. But Daichi remained strong and kept it in – all to protect one of the most precious bonds he has ever made. Though it pained him to see his friend be the individual he always dreamt of becoming, he stomached all that bitterness to remain friends with someone who has stuck with him even if they were far too different from the norms of society.

The extraordinary one and the normal one.

And if it meant staying as good friends, then Daichi would just have to strive to be someone like Hibiki to put his feelings to rest once and for all.

Nearly reaching home, Daichi strolled at his very own casual pace through his neighborhood before passing a group of three women chatting.

_The usual three huh . . . gossiping as usual._

The three women's identities were unknown to Daichi, but apart from the fact that they were his neighbors he knew as far as he could remember that the three were that "Gossip Trio" he always saw and heard talking about neighborhood rumors, national issues, cheating husbands, loose undergarments, and osteoporosis.

"Hey, you heard about that earthquake near Tokyo?"

"Yes, it was quite devastating they said. It was all over the TV!"

"The subway was in tatters, too. Hundreds were killed in the crash and stampede. Looks like the trains would be out for some time."

"They said that aftershocks would also be felt around the surrounding areas, too. Oh my, this isn't that common in Japan!"

"Well, we're not that near to the city's areas so it won't be that bad."

_The subway's wrecked . . .?_

Daichi did a double-take at the statement about the subway, and soon remembered that Hibiki was to take the train back home today.

"N-no, he wouldn't have been held up in that. Hahahaha, I must be overthinking this. Yeah, that must be it!"

Daichi flipped out his phone and searched for Hibiki's number, then sent a quick mail asking what he was doing.

After having sent the message, Daichi again went back to walking home.

One minute. Four minutes. 10 minutes.

"Still no reply? Hibiki never takes more than five minutes to reply back. . ." Daichi mused.

He again flipped out his phone and took a look at the screen, then noticed that he had no reception at the moment. Then, the signal came on for a second, and again disappeared only to be replaced once more by a "no reception" memo.

"Tch, what the hell is going on? Are the phone companies having problems? Ah, dammit. Hibiki . . . I hope you aren't in some sort of pickle."

Little did Daichi know, his friend was involved in something that didn't quite fall under the category of just a "pickle" kind of trouble.

* * *

"Wait for a while, okay Io? I'll be right back."

I began walking towards the Ogres, and soon I felt myself sprinting towards my opponents. The Ogres growled at me, and began a slow charge, carrying their clubs and getting ready to maul me to death.

I gripped the katana in my hand, and felt my energy rush to new heights. My senses grew sharper, and something felt. . . . new about the air around me. I felt really light, and the blade in my hand soon lost the feeling of being the heavy metal that it was.

I sped through the space in front of me and closed the gap between me and the first Ogre in a matter of nanoseconds. Once there, I thrust my blade through its abdomen, twisted it, and pulled it in an upward arc. From the stomach up to its head, the Ogre was clearly split in half. It glowed for a moment, and then dispersed into dust in the air.

Eyeing my next target, I found the next Ogre running all but towards me – it was going for Io's location.

_Not good! Even if I'm fast enough, I might not make it! Damn it, I need to get there!_

As it neared the rubble where Io hid, I felt myself get lifted off the ground a few centimeters, and suddenly, I was in the Ogre's line of direction.

I couldn't believe it. I was able to teleport!

Wasting no time to continue amazing myself, I rushed to the demon and slashed off its arm. I felt a current flow through my arm, and right then and there, my katana let loose electricity that enveloped its sharp edge.

Finishing the swing of my arc, as soon as my right arm was down I threw the katana up and caught it with my left and landed a slash at the Ogre's torso.

"Hraaaaahhhh!"

_*Slice*_

The large, green beast groaned, and after having fallen down to the ground, it glowed red and dispersed into the air as millions of red dust particles. That was already the second Ogre I had managed to send into oblivion.

_It seems that once the demon has been defeated, the magnetite that had been used to have it manifest disappears as well._

Hearing a sharp howling behind me, I unconsciously turned and found myself staring at an Ogre mere inches away. My body froze and anticipated a painful strike, when suddenly blue jets of energy hit the demon and sent it to where its two other friends were.

"Thanks for the backup there, Byakko!" I grinned. The beast howled back, eager for more. I looked at the rubble behind Byakko, and there I spotted Io, who I had instructed to hide in the area behind Byakko. I had commanded my demon to protect Io whatever the cost, much to its chagrin (Byakko really loved fighting).

I looked around, checking for any more signs of danger. Apart from the wrecked state of the subway and a few dead bodies strewn here and there, there wasn't a single soul left aside from us.

As I walked towards Byakko and Io, I took a glance at the katana in my hand. My body throbbed for a moment, and I felt my consciousness pause a moment. I had slipped into some sort of trance, and a deep voice rang in my head.

_**Are you my master?**_

_Huh?_

_**I asked, child. Are you my master?**_

_. . . . . I think I am._

_**Oh? Is that so? Then this shall be most interesting. I see this isn't your first combat experience, however – your stance and movements were sloppy and imbalanced. You strike me as someone much more accustomed to the use of magical attacks.**_

_I can't help it. I'm new to this "fighting in close quarters" business. Anyway, who are you?_

_**If you are new to this type of fighting, then I suppose that is good enough. It will be nice to teach a youngling, for once. You ask for my name, then I shall give it – I am the Sword of Kusanagi, wielded by the trickster god Susano'o of the land of Yamato.**_

_One of the Japanese regalia, eh? I wonder how that pink-haired man got hold of you, or even how you were just a strap and then transformed together with my phone . . . Well, my name's Hibiki Kuze. I guess we'll be working together starting now. Looking forward to work with you, Ossan!_

_**Ossan? Hahahahaha! What an interesting child! I suppose it is fitting to address me as such for my age far surpasses yours. Well then, you may speak with me when troubles arise.**_

I felt myself slip away from the trance and back into the world. The katana I had used disappeared, and was replaced by my phone with a katana and a dragon strap attached to it. I continued walking on, saving the thought of knowing more about the situation for later. Io wasted no time at all and was already rushing towards me, Byakko moving casually behind her. As she reached me, Io welcomed me with a smile that sent a million volts through me.

_Seeing that smile, I think I can keep fighting Ogres for the whole day!_

"Kuze-kun, are you okay?"

I grinned. "Of course I am. You saw me beat those things, didn't you?" Io nodded. "Thanks to Kuze-kun, I'm safe from the danger. Thank you very much!"

"It was no problem. Anyways, we better get out of here. Who knows what other things might be here."

Io agreed, and as soon as I had Byakko disappear, we headed back up to the surface entrance of the subway. I took Io's hand and led her out of the hellhole that began the most tragic and upsetting week the world was ever gonna know.

* * *

Having left the confines of the collapsed subway station, Io and I found ourselves welcomed by a massive crowd ahead of us. Police forces were all around, monitoring the entrance to the subway, and medics at the scene were tending to those who were injured and traumatized by what had occurred earlier. Some of the firemen at the site were already lining up bodies of those unfortunate enough to have died during the collapse.

Moving through the crowd, a memory goes through my brain and I managed to recall something important about this place. Feeling that Io and I came out a bit early, I took Io's hand once more and asked her to wait with me in the crowd for a bit. Though confused, Io made no complaints and stood beside me. As I held her hand, I was reminded of the warmth of her emotions – emotions that she had always shown me whenever I lost sight of my way during the three times I repeated this hellish week. She had been the closest person to me next to my best friend, Daichi. And I knew that Io was truly more than a friend to me.

Recovering my focus, I scanned the area and soon found the black and yellow-outlined uniform that I had been in search of in this incident.

JPs.

A special emphasis to say was the woman leading the current unit moving towards the subway area where we had just narrowly escaped death.

Makoto Sako.

Hers was one of the deaths that had shocked me the most. Out of all the JPs employees that we had encountered, Makoto was the only one that had truly shown genuine concern. She had felt like an older sister figure for me, what with the respect I had learned to give her.

After having heard of her experience of feeling helpless and in turn being saved by the JPs, I had felt myself become closer to her. She was definitely one of my emotional anchors during the time of facing the ordeal, next to my friends. Makoto kept my head clear, helping me make decisions that managed to keep everyone out of harm.

Everyone except her.

The time I had thought of a meritocracy for a world was something promising, I swiftly joined Yamato Hotsuin's party and battled alongside them towards the path of Yamato's ideals. However, during the battle with the Administrator, Polaris, I felt my insides rot at the massacre we had experienced for a fight.

Makoto had willingly put herself in harm's way just to save me.

And she died doing so, firmly believing to the end that I would grant them the ideal world they had so strongly dedicated their cause to. As she fell to her knees, with the last of her life I had understood the emotion reflected in her eyes that had drove her to put her faith completely into me.

Love.

It was something so fleeting, yet also so powerful. For the first time, even if I did already fall for Io, I had somehow felt myself wanting to reciprocate the feelings she had so unwittingly developed for me from all the times we had been together, fighting the rotting world side by side.

Yet in the end, I rejected the idea of a meritocratic world. Why? It was because Hotsuin had completely abandoned his dying men, believing that in the end they were nothing but talentless pawns that he may have had a little gratitude to for having taken him as far as the Administrator. His actions boiled my blood back then, and I felt the rage shake my very insides.

Pawns? Disposable soldiers? Worthless fools? Hell, no single person off the face of the Earth could be under any of those! Humanity developed strength and emotion side by side to see that the path to true power lies with the sharing of one's heart and accepting the faults and weaknesses one possesses!

Before the Administrator and the dying eyes of my friends, I had stained my hands with Yamato Hotsuin's very blood. With that act, I carried my sin over and forced Polaris to have me be given another shot to correct the way I chose.

But my second trial was a story for another time.

My heart pounded at the sight of Makoto, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. I blinked them back, and composed myself before approaching the lady. I instructed Io to wait for a moment; she replied with a confused "yes."

Every step towards Makoto seemed to slow me down; my body felt like lead and my limbs acted like they were chained to the spot. Soon enough, I was out of the crowd and stumbled right in front of the very JPs member I had wanted to talk to.

"E-excuse me? You wouldn't happen to be a JPs member, would you?" I asked, obviously feigning ignorance.

Makoto stared hard for a while, then replied, "Yes, I am. Why is that?"

"Uum, I was one of the few who got out of the subway and saw stuff. Stuff that I know shouldn't make any sense."

Though her face remained unchanged, I saw surprise in her eyes. "Is that so? Would you care to tell me what was there, or what occurred?"

"Demons. There were demons in the subway. And Nicaea was involved here, too."

". . . . ." The silence that followed unnerved me. C'mon, say something for crying outloud!

"Please tell me the rest of your account. Also, I would like to check your phone, if I may."

Right on the money. "Sure."

I walked with Makoto towards a military jeepney she had apparently ridden with a few JPs officers on the way here. Suddenly, Makoto pulled out a gun and had it face me. "So, why'd you do it?"

I maintained my calm demeanor. "I didn't summon the Ogres. Someone else must have. All I did down there was. . . . hide from the lot of them."

". . . . Is this true?"

"I swear on my life. Shoot me even, if you still distrust me." Makoto's stern look felt like daggers waiting to stab me everywhere in my body. Soon enough, she sighed and lowered her gun. Her expression softened to the Makoto I had gotten used to seeing. She removed the intercom on her left ear and began speaking once more. "Then, I believe you. However, you must be lying about something."

Sharp. Makoto never let my lies slip through her – EVER. "What did you think I was lying about?"

"About hiding. You knew they were named Ogre and somehow you look like you're experienced in terms of dealing with these sort of things. Also, it's completely written all over your face. Did you fight them?"

Sheepishly, I nodded. "Sort. . . of. But that doesn't do much for anyone's sake; well, maybe mine I guess." A grin escaped Makoto. "Then, I, on behalf of the JPs who struggle to build a better tomorrow under the rule of Yamato Hotsuin, would like to thank you for your effort regarding the elimination of those demons."

"D-don't be so formal. Anyways, I wanted to ask you if I could join JPs as a volunteer civilian for _that_ project."

Makoto's eyes widened. "You want to become a fighter for the JPs?! But that's not easy! Also, a better future awaits you, not the spilling of your blood at such a young age."

"Then I just have to prove myself. Here, take a look at my phone." Remembering that Makoto had wanted to see my phone, I handed it to her for checking. It was obvious enough that she, belonging to JPs, would inspect the phone of someone who may be potentially a tamer with the power of Nicaea to evaluate the development of the individual – either destined to help the citizens as a JPs member, or be part of the ignorant masses.

After handing her my phone, I awaited an astonished expression to come from Makoto. I wanted to show her that the app I was currently using was a unique one (after having viewed it a little earlier) with different features.

"Your color scheme's different alright, but. . . . Wait. The menus. . . . are different? The options for the Team editing are gone! And what's with these features?! What's with your system?" She gaped.

I closed my eyes and grinned.

I had managed to somehow follow a different outtake as to my life.

All thanks to the Nicaea version I had managed to see earlier, just before having left the subway.

Nicaea, Version One pt. Two pt. Zero pt. One

ProGeNiTOR Patch.

* * *

"Thank you very much for your cooperation."

"It was nothing. I merely held on to our end of the bargain."

Two figures sat opposite to each other, a table in between them; the two were locked in a round of the board game chess.

Though the room was inherently dark, the light squirming through the windows managed to provide enough light for the two to play and outwit one another in the game they were so absorbed in.

The figure playing the ivory white pieces spoke then. "Were the modifications proper? Please explain them to me. I am quite curious as to what your genius seems to have created out of the very small time we have had."

He moved a knight, and captured an enemy bishop.

"Very small tweaks, although they were significantly unique to the system you have incorporated. The site is still the main catalyst to transmute magnetite and allow demons to manifest; however I made it so that **he **has a choice between summoning the demons and commanding them, or incorporating the powers of the demons into his very body and use their powers and abilities as if they were his own. Think of it as swapping armors with different strengths, so to speak."

His slender fingers moved his raven black pawn a step forward.

"Amazing. Which means that he can **teleport using the Warp Step ability, **or even** bring back lost mana as a Tyrant.** He may even use the demons' **attacks and innate skills.** But doesn't that mean he becomes susceptible to a specific demon's very **weaknesses**?"

His knight again goes on the offensive, and takes down a pawn.

"Well, you know what they say – power never comes without drawbacks, and that makes them more captivating to have."

"Oh, is that so?"

The man using the black pieces chuckled. "No, they don't really say that. Back on topic, I've also given that update with the selection for the use of that pesky Dragon Stream the Hotsuin's are so protective of, and a useful item to make that sword of his much more powerful and versatile. Oh, I believe this is check."

Rook threatens king.

After castling to protect his ivory king, the figure sighed. "Yamato's sure to be boiling after having a vital artifact concerning the Dragon Stream and the real blade regalia of the Japanese disappear from the extremely secured Hotsuin mansion."

"Worrying now gets them nowhere. I believe that they just have to go along and continue with the main plan of theirs. This is already the fourth time, and I can't believe they haven't experienced enough déjà vu to jog their minds into thinking that 'This plan's doomed to fail!' or something like that."

Raven bishop takes rook.

"Did you also put that **record** in there?" Pawn captures black knight.

The man on the side of the raven pieces fiddled with one of his captured pawns, sighing and annoyance obvious in his tone. "You know, that one was the most difficult. It was hard enough finding it after the **third time**, but fitting something which had data about **the past, present, and future **into something as portable as a phone was a REAL pain the ass."

White pawn steps forward. "But I guess you've had your fill of watching the events in those **records** before even finishing the installment, yes?"

Black pawn moves forward. "I did. I sort of relished the sight of me hammering my idiot brother down after that little squabble with livestock and the crops. But enough of that. I restricted it so that **he **can only view those **records** thrice a day. It would be bad if he just relied on that all of the time, as he won't be able to make decisions for himself, which is very much essential. Check."

Bishop threatens king. "Quite right. He must find his one true path by himself, without the intervention of any other force other than his own will. By the way, I heard you've managed to put two hacks? Oh, my queen takes your bishop down for this round, I suppose. What a wonderful match. Haha."

The black pawn continued forward, reaching the furthest point and achieving promotion into a queen. "Oh, _those_ hacks? Hahahaha! I'm glad you asked! I had made it so that **he'd **be able to draw powers from similar beings who have had to forge their own paths; whether for blood, glory, honor, or good will. Only two were currently placed in, as the rest are unstable versions."

Queen threatens black queen. "I see. Which were in there by default?"

The man moves his black queen towards a rook and takes it. "The hacks for power and ability boosts were the HACK_SMT_1 Blood of Bel, and HACK_SMT_2 Magatsuhi. I'm not sure if he can just take the power of the King's Gate or the Fiends that easily – even just 5% was dangerous enough as a setting."

"Oh my, I'm in pickle with this scenario." He moves his queen forward, then speaks "Thanks for all your hard work. By the way, I've heard that the Hotsuin sibling was in town. What is she seemingly after here?"

Last move – Queen puts white king in an unescapable position. "Checkmate. Well, I've heard that she wants to manage the execution of that meritocratic world plan they have. Mi-something Hotsuin, if I recall it right. Well, she's sure to cross paths sooner or later with the **rabbit.**"

The figure using the white pieces sat up straight. "Lost again, huh. *Sigh* Well, I hope she does no harm to **him.** Another game?"

The man straightened himself and answered, "Sure, why not – **Prometheus.**"

"**Prometheus" **chuckled. "Why not? I'm bound to win this fourth round – **Cain.**"

* * *

Please rate and review, criticisms and compliments are welcome too. The next chapter may take a while, so please be patient. Tell me what you think in the reviews, and I hope to have some positive feedback. Peace out.

~Arsony

PS. I hope this chapter was good for you guys. Though it doesn't have much action yet, I plan to build a sorta different storyline so I am really excited to hear what you guys have to say. I plan to have this as a harem fic, no main girl as Hibiki WILL be spending time and loving equally the girls. Oooh yeaaah. XD


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